Chicago mayor’s plan calls for $7-billion infrastructure upgrade

By |  April 4, 2012

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is not banking on the federal government to provide needed infrastructure dollars for his city. The Chicago Tribune reports that Emanuel’s proposal—”Building a New Chicago”—is a $7 billion infrastructure rebuilding plan that would set “the foundations for Chicago to be a leader in the global revolution of ideas and innovation.’

The mayor called for a commitment to boost the local economy through work on roads and public buildings, and asked City Council to pass his plan for a privately funded Infrastructure Trust to finance major projects.

The Chicago Tribune says the trust would “pull together private and public financing for a variety of projects, such as bus rapid-transit service or expanded high-speed Internet access.”

The mayor also called for adding a fourth new runway at O’Hare International Airport. The Chicago Tribune says, “Emanuel emphasized that no new taxes will be used to pay for his infrastructure plan. Among the means to finance his building plan will be cuts in the city’s bureaucracy and the imposition of user fees.”

About the Author:

Darren Constantino is an editor of Pit & Quarry magazine. He can be reached at dconstantino@northcoastmedia.net.

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